Bishops’ Defense Of Marriage Chair Decries Latest DOMA Ruling

Concept that marriage is between one man, one woman grounded in nature

Children deserve to be raised by their biological parents

Public good demands that unique nature of marriage be respected by law

WASHINGTON—In response to a
decision on October 18 by a divided federal appeals court panel to strike down
part of the Defense of Marriage Act (DOMA), Archbishop Salvatore Cordileone of
San Francisco, chairman of the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops'
Subcommittee for the Promotion and Defense of Marriage, issued the following
comment expressing disappointment over the ruling.

"The recognition that marriage is and can only
be the union of one man and one woman is grounded in our nature, being clear
from the very way our bodies are designed. This recognition obliges our
consciences and laws. It is a matter of basic rights—the right of every child
to be welcomed and raised, as far as possible, by his or her mother and father
together in a stable home," Archbishop Cordileone said. "Marriage is the only
institution whereby a man and a woman unite for life and are united to any
child born from their union. The public good demands that the unique meaning
and purpose of marriage be respected in law and society, not rejected as beyond
the constitutional pale. Redefining marriage never upholds the equal dignity of
individuals because it contradicts basic human rights. The ruling yesterday is
unjust and a great disappointment."

On
October 18, the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Second Circuit affirmed, by a 2-1
vote, a U.S. District Court decision striking down section 3 of DOMA as
unconstitutional. Section 3 defines marriage as the union of one man and one
woman for purposes of federal law.

DOMA
was approved by a broad, bi-partisan majority of Congress in 1996, and signed into
law by President Bill Clinton. DOMA recognizes for purposes of federal law that
marriage is the union of one man and one woman, and it also protects the rights
of states to uphold this definition of marriage in the face of laws from other
states that might be adverse to such definition.

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